Bible Discussion Thread

Was Jesus' sacrifice on the cross really an atonement for our sin? I though the died to forgive our sins.

Both these words bear heavily on Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross, though their meaning & application is different. When we speak of Atonement, though it is mentioned very often in the Old Testament in relation to the Jewish sacrifices, it is mentioned only once in Romans 5:11 "And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement." and in Rom 3:25, 1 Jn 2:2, 4:10, the word used is Propitiation. Both very similar in meaning.

In both instances of these words, the reference is to what Jesus' Sacrifice accomplished for us. So, to Atone or Propitiate has two aspects to it: one is expiation of our sins (Jesus dealing with/cancelling our sins) & the other, the removal or satisfying of God's Wrath that was against us sinners. So the word, Atonement, uses these two thoughts which were required by God before He could forgive us our sins. If Christ wasn't the Perfect, required Sacrifice, then there would be no basis for God to accept that Sacrifice. But since He was the Perfect Lamb of God sacrificed for us, God could then forgive us entirely on what Jesus did. If anyone tries to add to that sacrifice, whether by some extra effort to please God or self denial or self harm, then that person is saying that Christ's Sacrifice was insufficient to do its work. And this is very wrong.

So Atonement is what God required from His Son's Sacrifice, & Forgiveness is what we receive from God based on His Acceptance of the Sacrifice & our faith in Jesus.